No. 9 Marquette out to gain traction in Big East opener vs. Butler

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Big East conference play gets underway for No. 9 Marquette as it welcomes Butler to Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

Both teams are looking to start conference play on a higher note after scuffling at the end of early nonconference play. Marquette (9-2) has lost two of three and Butler (7-4) has lost three in a row.

The ranked Golden Eagles fell on the road in front a hostile crowd at Dayton 71-63 on Saturday despite leading by 10 at the half. Marquette shot just 4 of 17 from deep in the second half.

"I thought we allowed the chaotic and frantic nature of the game to affect our clarity of mind on the defensive end," Marquette head coach Shaka Smart said. "It's a real lesson for us, because you have to have that, and you have to have true connectivity as a group."

Chase Ross led Marquette with 19 points while Kam Jones scored 18 despite getting into foul trouble in the first half and committing his third very early in the second half.

"As a team, we've got to be able to play with more poise when he (Jones) is out of the game," Smart said. "We need more guys that can create some action for us,

Butler's third consecutive loss came at the Indy Classic to Wisconsin, a team Marquette beat 88-74 on Dec. 7. The Bulldogs were upset at home by North Dakota State earlier in the week.

"This isn't the first time I've lost three games in a row. And just because you lose three games in a row doesn't mean you're gonna have a bad season," Bulldogs guard Patrick McCaffery said, according to the Indianapolis Star.

McCaffery's advice for his Butler squad has been to not get discouraged with early-season struggles.

"I've tried my best to kind of influence our younger players and the older guys to know our season is far from over," he said. "We have so many games left to play, so many opportunities. You just got to keep pushing forward."

Butler has three scorers averaging double-figures: Jahmyl Telfort (16.2), Pierre Brooks II (15.5) and McCaffery (12.9). Andre Screen leads down low, averaging 6.0 boards and 1.3 blocks.

Jones is getting national recognition for Marquette, averaging 20.1 points, 6.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds per contest. David Joplin leads the team with 5.4 boards per game.

Marquette has handled Butler in recent years, winning nine of the last 12 matchups. The series was split last season, with both teams winning on the road.

Marquette was carried by 27 points from Tyler Kolek and 17 from Oso Ighodaro in their 78-72 win in the last matchup, with both now playing in the NBA. Jones was the only other player in double figures with 11, while Joplin shot just 3 of 9 from the floor.

For Butler, Telfort and Brooks II had 12 and 15 points respectively, each grabbing six boards as well.

The Golden Eagles tout a high-flying offense, averaging 81.5 points per game and 9.9 3-pointers. They also have a scoring margin of 14.7, compared to Butler's 5.6.

Butler is averaging 12.4 turnovers committed per game while forcing just 8.2, while Marquette commits 9.7 and forces 16.3.

--Field Level Media